Mayor de Blasio was not in favor of the Street Master Plan when it was proposed at the beginning of the year, arguing that his Vision Zero program was enough to make pedestrians and bicyclists safe in the city. After multiple fatal bicycle accidents occurred during the first half of the year, proving him wrong, de Blasio unveiled a five year plan dubbed the “Green Wave Bicycle Plan”, a diluted version of the “Street Master Plan” in July.
However after bicycle accident fatalities continued to rise to record numbers in the city over the fall and the summer, the mayor changed his mind and agreed on a delayed version of the Street Master Plan. Delaying the plan for two years means that NYC cyclists will continue to face dangerous riding conditions at least for another 2 or 3 years.
The Street Master Plan is estimated to cost $1.7 billion over 10 years and will require significant additional funding from the city budget. Additionally the implementation of the bill is expected to face significant political backlash from some community boards who are not in favor of supporting a bill that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists over cars.
Picture of Corey Johnson: courtesy of Wikipedia